'Lost' star contrite at DUI hearing

Cynthia Watros has her license suspended after pleading guilty to drunken driving

A star of the hit ABC-TV show "Lost" pleaded guilty yesterday to driving drunk and said she was sorry at a hearing in Kaneohe District Court.

Cynthia Watros was arrested for drunken driving in Kailua on Dec. 1.

As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Watros had her driver's license suspended for 90 days, agreed to attend 14 hours of alcohol abuse rehabilitation classes and will pay $312 in fines and court costs.

District Judge James Dannenberg said, "This is no fun, but you know how much worse it could have been. ... Get on with your life, and I wish you luck."

After the hearing, Watros made a brief statement but took no questions from reporters.

"I'm extremely grateful to the people of Hawaii for their love and support. Thank you," Watros said.

Deputy Prosecutor Sean Sanada said the prosecutor's office was pleased with her guilty plea and sentence because she has no criminal record.

"She did follow through, and we just hope this doesn't happen again. ... The main thing, we hope, is that she learned her lesson," Sanada said.

Watros was represented by attorney Lanson Kupau.

Watros and co-star Michelle Rodriguez were arrested separately for operating motor vehicles while under the influence of an intoxicant just after midnight on Dec. 1 along Kalanianaole Highway after their cars began to "weave all over the right lane and into the bicycle lane," according to police reports.

Police said Rodriguez, who was driving a black Mercedes sedan, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.145 percent while Watros, who was driving a white Lexus sport utility vehicle, had a 0.1 percent blood-alcohol level. The state's legal limit for blood alcohol is 0.08 percent.

According to police reports, when Watros was pulled over, she told officers she was heading home to Lanikai. Officers pointed out to her that she was heading in the wrong direction.

The police reports also stated that Rodriguez was "very argumentative" with arresting officers and that she said, "I don't (expletive) belong here! Why don't you just put a gun to my head and shoot me? You've already taken my freedom! You might as well take my life, too! This is (expletive) bull--, baby! I don't (expletive) belong here!"

The reports also state that after being fingerprinted, Rodriguez said, "I was only drinking, baby. I can understand taking away my car for drinking and driving, but I didn't hurt nobody, so why do I have to wear these things? I feel like a slave, man. This takes away my freedom," and grabbed at the leg irons she was wearing.

Rodriguez's attorney, Steven Barta, attended today's hearing. He said he was just there to observe.